Fallen Snow
by EmoKitten3
Summary: Yuki Shikun lives in a town inhabited by vampires, along with her adoptive brother Yatome and Foster Father. With no prior memory from the age of five about herself, Yuki must protect and discover herself within the monsterous Vampire, The Shadow.
1. Memories

**Chapter 1- Memories.**

"Mummy?" the child asked, holding her mother's hand.

"Yes dear?"

"When is Daddy coming back?" the mother actually did not know the answer to the question. Her husband had left a week ago to help the Society, and he had not returned.

"He'll come back soon." she said comfortably.

"When is that?" the mother let go of her daughter's gloved hand and rubbed her arms. They had been standing in the snowy area for a while now. Snow was falling gently from the sky, and the two were dressed warmly in thick winter jackets. A cold wind blew up and pushed several snowflakes to the side, and the child moved closer to her mother.

"Let's go home now." the mother smiled. Taking her little daughter by the hand, she led her through the snow back to their house.

"Yes?" the mother asked one evening, opening the door to reveal a stern man with ginger hair and thin rectangle-framed glasses perched upon his nose.

"It's about your husband." the woman froze. She then opened the door wider and allowed the man in.

"Please come in, it's freezing outside." she smiled uncomfortably. The man walked in, leaving several lumps of snow on the floor as he unzipped his jacket. She then let the man settle himself in one of their arm chairs.

"What about my husband?" she asked, her voice silently shaking.

"I'm from the Society. We received rather shocking news that he was...killed by the Shadow." the mother's eyes began to fill with tears.

"Well...what do I tell my daughter? How will she cope?" she said, brushing her brown hair out of her face.

"How do you want to tell her? We received a note written in blood saying that the Shadow was now targeting...your daughter." the woman's hand flew to her mouth.

"N-No! She's still young!" she stammered.

"You may have to leave somewhere isolated..." the man suggested, before he stood up and took his coat from the rack.

"I need to return to the Society. If you decide to move, please send us a letter." the man called before he left. The mother stood up and made up her mind. She was going to save her daughter from The Shadow.

"Mummy? Why are you crying?" the girl asked from behind her mother, her soft, brown eyes shining. Her mother sniffed and kneeled down to the girl.

"Yuki, I've made up my mind." she smiled, brushing some of her light brown hair out of the way.

"I'm going to turn you into a human by sealing your vampire genes."

"Mummy? What's going on?" blood began to drip from her mother's arms and onto her pyjamas.

"Ah...some day...you will avenge your father...promise me..." there was an explosion as blood spurted rapidly from her heart as she fell to the ground. The child's frightened screams echoed around the house before she too fell to the stone floor.

**...**

"Yatome! It's eleven! Get up already!" the fierce pounding on his bedroom door continued.

_She's not going to give up eh?,_ he smiled to himself as he slowly dragged himself out of bed. He shuffled to the door and opened it, and his sister frowned.

"Geez, you're so lazy." she scowled, before turning on her heels and then leaving. He grinned, before swiping his short, dark hair out of his eyes. Having a fourteen-year-old adopted sister wasn't easy to deal with, but he managed. After getting changed into a white shirt with jeans, he shuffled down into the dining room, where his sister was already frying some eggs. She smiled at him, before she went back to cooking.

"Do you need me to help you with anything?" he asked from behind her shoulder. He was a lot taller than her, and she looked up at him with gentle, chestnut eyes.

"I'm fine thanks." she smiled at him, before he left and she went back to cooking. He went back to his room and grabbed a light brown jacket and slipped what looked like a thin pair of metal scissors into the pocket. When he had arrived, the eggs were on the table, and she was already eating. After both had finished an entire omelette each, Yatome offered to wash the dishes. Yuki eyed his jacket and asked him if he was going to the Hunter Society.

He nodded, his silver eyes emotionless, and started washing the dishes. Yuki, on the other hand, went to her room and looked for a jacket. It was mid-autumn in the small town where they lived, and it was quite dangerous as vampires were roaming around, attacking people. The atmosphere there was sometimes uneasy, but mostly the atmosphere there was quite normal and happy. A Vampire Hunter Society existed to protect humans form being attacked by killing the insane beasts, but there was also a Vampire Society to prevent too many of their kind from being killed.

"Vampire Hunters," her father had once told her, "exist to stop vampires from attacking too many people." Yuki, at the time, was five-and-a-half, and had no idea what a vampire was.

"Daddy, what is a vampire?" her father pushed his glasses further up his nose and cleared his throat.

"A vampire, is a...scary creature which attacks humans, feeding on their blood."

"I'm scared Daddy. Do they really live in this town?"

"Yes they do, but they won't attack you because there is a Hunter Society which is to protect people from being attacked."

"I don't think I can go outside anymore, I'll need Yatome to come with me." she turned her head and saw eight-year-old Yatome, who stood silently in the hallway in his striped grey pyjamas.

"Yatome, one day you could be a vampire hunter like myself." their father grinned. Yatome said nothing and headed back to his bedroom, and the door closed with a soft thud.

"Are you coming?" Yatome called from the dining room. Yuki was snapped out of her thoughts and grabbed a blue wind cheater which hung on the back of her door. After locking the front door and putting their shoes on, the two walked steadily across the stone-paved roads of the town they lived in. Buildings were all around, and in the very centre if the town stood a stone fountain of a crane. Yuki had almost fallen in once when she was quite young, and the memory triggered a smile on her face. She remembered she had been adopted when she was four, and her father had taken her in. From the point when she was adopted, she could not remember anything from before the age of four. Who were her parents...?

Her earliest memories was waking up on the cold yet soft ground of a snowy hill. When she had regained her senses, the hill and part of her clothing was covered in blood, and snow was falling fast as icy breezes howled by. Up ahead, she had seen a dark figure, which turned out to be Yatome, who had told father that he had found a little girl. Since no-one had any any form her of identity, the vampire hunter was able to successfully adopt Yuki.

"How about...Yuki Shikun?" her father had grinned after a few minutes of deciding her first name.

_If...Yatome hadn't of found me on that snowy hill ten years ago...I wouldn't be here today,_ Yuki smiled in her mind. Yatome was also adopted, according to her father, yet Yatome had refused to answer the question of when and how he was adopted.

"A while back." he had mumbled before he had closed the door to his room.

"Hey. We're here." Yatome gently nudged Yuki with his elbow, and the two stood at the large gates which led to the building. Yuki had been here a few times before to say hello to father. The building was quite large and busy inside, with people going in and out of rooms. Yuki huddled closer to Yatome as he looked around for their father. They eventually spotted him, his short, chestnut curls bobbing with every step.

"Hey!" Yuki called from across the room. He looked up briefly from his arms full of folders and documents and smiled. He walked over to them, his arms busting.

"Hi! How are you two?" he smiled wearily. He had dark circles under his eyes and often spent his nights hunting insane vampires or studying documents at the Society.

"Listen, I'm going to haven to come home late today, we've been on this case of recent killings by someone by the name of The Shadow."

_The Shadow._ The words flashed though Yuki's mind. She had heard the name before...somewhere.

"Alright then." Yatome mumbled. Yuki smiled and waved as their father nodded and left.

"It's...so busy here." Yuki sighed. Yatome now worked for the society, and loathed vampires which he called 'vile beasts' when he explained them to Yuki. Yatome shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and left the building. When they had left, the stone-paved paths had emptied quite a bit, and there was barely anyone around. Yatome looked around at the shops that stood on either sides of the road, and pointed at a cafe.

"I'm going to go in there. Do you want to come?" he asked kindly. Yuki shook her head.

"I'll meet you at the Crane." he grinned and entered the shop, as she turned around and headed to the crane fountain. The crane was spewing out a steady jet of water from its mouth, and Yuki went to sit down on one of the various benches that surrounded the fountain.

_Who...were my parents? Do I want to meet them? I'm not...sure... I remember after I met Yatome and Father, my life was...saved._ Yuki was home-schooled, as the closest school which existed was a long car drive away. After a while Yuki had gotten a hold on the basics, with Yatome as her tutor.

_Who were my parents? I...need to know. I can't live with this emptiness in my soul, she made up her mind firmly._

**_Yuki..._** the voice whispered in a sweet, smooth melody. It was a familiar voice, one from a woman. She stood up, looking from left to right to determine where the sound came from.

**_Over here..._** it was to her left. Forgetting about Yatome, she briskly walked though a gap in the buildings and was in a quiet alley.

**_Come here, my sweet girl..._** Yuki knew this voice, but didn't know who it belonged to. It was further up ahead, and Yuki started running, determined to meet this mysterious voice.

**_Come here...come here..._** the words kept repeating, as Yuki increased her speed, speeding past buildings and bins, until she lurched forward and onto the ground.

"Geh..." she winced as she kneeled off the ground, and inspected her scraped, bleeding knee. She tried not to touch the large, bleeding area as she got off the ground and patted the dust off her dress and coat.

_I must have tripped...the voice is gone..._ she muttered in her head. She quickly inspected her hands and lower legs, looking for anymore scraped areas.

_I need to get out of here soon...vampires could become attracted to the scent of blood._

She stood up and tried to find how she had gotten into the silent alley in the first place. She tried retracing her steps, but she was lost. Glancing a look at the sky, she grew worried. The sky was getting dark, as the sky was a soft peach flushed with streaks of orange.

_I have to find Yatome before it gets dark..._

A snarling sound gargled behind her, and in fear she fell to the ground. Two red points of light flashed from the darkness, and without thinking, Yuki took to her feet and ran. The creature snarled, its fangs bared and took after her. Panting with fear, she ran past the bins and made her way into the central square, where a confused Yatome stood.

"Yatome!" Yuki shouted, and he spun to face her direction. She ran in fear into his arms.

"There's...a monster...!" she panted, as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a pair of metal scissors. As she let go and backed away, the monster had come to a standstill. It was an insane vampire, its dirtied hair hanging down from its pale skin like a curtain. Its eyes were dilated, and the smile was bloodied, with fangs covered in blood. Yuki reeled back in horror. _A vampire..._

The blades of the scissors folded away as a sharp metal blade shot of the folded blades. The sword glinted in the fainting sunlight, as Yatome gritted his teeth in anger. Rushing forward, he sliced through the vampire's torso, as the monster's expression faltered, before it dissolved into dust which the wind carried away. Yatome lowered the sword as the blade of the sword drew back, and the blades folded back to an ordinary pair of scissors. He turned around to Yuki, his smile comforting. She ran into his arms and smiled.

"We should get home soon, it's getting dark." he smiled. She looked up at him and smiled with her soft, chestnut eyes. The two began to walk away from the central square, forgetting about the monsters which lurked there at night, waiting, watching for victims.

**...**

He pressed his thumb on the bandage, and then let go.

"There." he smiled, as Yuki's knee now had a large, square bandage on it.

"How did you scrape yourself?" he placed his hand on his knee and stood up. She sat in the chair with her bandaged knee, not reacting and stared softly into Yatome's silver eyes, her eyes welling up with tears.

"That monster...it was a vampire...it tried to attack me...and I ran..." she sniffed, as a tear dripped slowly down her cheek. Yatome smiled and placed his hand on her cheek and used his thumb to wipe it away.

"You're fine now."

"But...if I didn't run...I would have been...devoured. Like an animal chasing after its prey... Did my parents abandon me? Were they being chased? Did they make it? Was I part of it? I have to remember.. I need to know." she sobbed, placing her arms on Yatome's shoulders.

"Why didn't father tell me about when he found me? Did he know my parents? Were they meant to give me to him? Yatome...help...!" a nearby glass cup began to vibrate, before it burst into a million glass shards.

Yatome stared at Yuki and the million shards of glass on the table.

"_Yatome..._" Yuki whispered, her voice a frightened melody.

"_I need to know..._" she sobbed, her head still buried in her arms. Yatome lifted her head in his hands, her tears shining in the light which shone above them.

"Calm down." he said firmly. Her hand flew to her mouth in shock. She pointed at the million glass shards behind him, her hand quivering.

"I...I did that...?" her fingers trembled over her mouth. Yatome looked at her, his stare firm. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head into his shoulder.

"_What is...happening to me?_" she quivered. He placed his hand on her head and closed his eyes.

"I'm here, please don't cry." he whispered, rubbing his hand on her hair. She looked up at him with soft eyes, nodding.

The next morning, Yatome was no where to be seen in the house. Yuki had decided that he had gone to the Society and wasn't alarmed. After she had eaten breakfast, she went into the central square again and looked around for something to do. She didn't want to visit the Society building because she didn't want to be crushed by the oceans of people rushing about.

_That vampire...tried to attack me yesterday... Y_uki quivered slightly as she walked around the Crane Fountain. She wasn't sure if she still wanted to be here after what had happened yesterday. Reaching down, she made sure the square bandage on her knee was secure. Every now and then she would glance behind her shoulder for any sign of a monster behind her.

_If I see a monster, run. Just run._ she told herself, trying to sound firm. She collapsed on a bench and shoved her hands deeply in the pockets of the jacket she was wearing. She didn't see Yatome that evening, nor the next morning, or the morning after that. Every morning, she would occasionally open the door and look for him. She didn't take action until a week after his disappearance. That morning, she had walked up to the Hunter Society building and had asked the receptionist about Yatome Shinkun.

"Who do you wish to see?" the lady asked sternly, her sharp glasses perched upon her nose which suited her eagle-like expression. Yuki swallowed nervously. She did not like it here.

"Yatome Shinkun. He's one of the hunters here."

"Well..." she opened a drawer and examined a file of papers.

"He was on a patrol around the Moonlight Mansion about last week."

"Anything else?"

"The rest is classified unless you have a legitimate reason to know."

"He's...my brother."

"Name?"

"Yuki Shikun. My father is-"

"Hello? Yuki! What are you doing here?" she spun around and saw her father, who beamed at her.

"Do you know this young lady?" the receptionist asked, frowning.

"Yes, she is my daughter." the lady gave a sniff of disapproval and straightened the papers.

"You tell Yuki what she needs to know, alright, bye!" he slipped away cheerily.

After a while, the lady cleared her throat and read.

"He had been assigned a patrol there, as there were recent attacks around and in the Mansion a month ago. He reported frequently about there being nothing but turned over furniture and cobwebs, but the reports stopped last week. We haven't heard from him since." she said gravely.

"But...is he dead?"

"Who knows?" she asked in a mean tone.

Yuki waved thanks and ran out of the building and out of the villiage square. She continued running past the neighbour hoods until she reached the end of the Mysterious Drive. A large, old rotting mansion stood at the very end of the drive, casting a giant shadow on the smooth, bricked road.

She skidded to a stop, panting and puffing.

_This...this is where Yatome was...I need to find him_. After she had calmed down, she walked up the steps and tried to open the door. At first it didn't move, but with a swift kick it flew off its hinges and landed on the wooden floor with an almighty bang. Looking around, the wallpaper had been peeling off the walls, it was dusty and spiderwebs were everywhere. She continued though various rooms, being careful not to knock into anything, and reached a giant flight of stairs. Several of them had rotted away due to age, and she had to quickly run up them because as soon as she set foot in one, it fell.

I'm trapped upstairs now... she was still relatively calm, and inspected a few more rooms.

One of the rooms had given her the chills. In one of the bedrooms, on the wall, 'You are next' was written in blood. On closer inspection, the blood was quite coloured, meaning it was recent. She froze and went out of the room.

_Just...find Yatome and get out of here...!_ she briskly walked past the rooms, as some of them were covered in blood. Across the floor she nearly tripped over a dead corpse, with punctured fang marks on its neck. She stepped over it carefully and speeded up into a small jog. She eventually came to the end of the corridor with two arching staircases up either side. On the wall, '**GOT YOU**' was written in blood, and a snarl sounded from behind her. She turned around and her blood literally froze to ice.

It was another insane vampire, its fangs protruded and covered in blood. With a roar, it rushed forward and attempted to claw at her neck. She ran up the left staircase, the monster inches behind her.

"I'm going to get you..." it moaned, grinning with delight. She did not dare to look behind her, and jumped upstairs with bursting lungs. She saw a bloodied area with several of the curtains torn and blood-stained.

_Why did I even come here?!_ she screamed in her mind, as she rolled to the side to avoid its claws. The vampire roared and clawed ferociously at the ground, trying to grab her ankle or foot. She quickly pushed herself up and ran. Looking to the side, she was also looking for Yatome.

_I need to find him and get out of here...!_

The vampire roared and crashed its hand down, sending wood chips from the floor scattering everywhere. As they came to a few more rooms, Yuki grabbed a chair from nearby and flung it onto the ground, as well a as anything else which came to hand. She tore down curtains, which flooded the room with sunlight and the monster roared in pain, shielding itself. Quickly, she ran into the nearest room and hid quietly in the corner, behind a closet. She had folded her knees to her chest and held them quietly, not daring to make a sound.

_As soon as the monster leaves, run!_ The vampire gargled silently as it crept into every room, checking for the human girl. She huddled closer toward the corner of the room and squinted her eyes shut, fear flooding every cell in her body.

_Please don't find me...please don't find me..._

The gargling was even closer now. Her heart began to pound, and she grew more frightened.

_What do I do?! If this thing finds me...I'll be worse then dead...!_ She slowly stuck her head out of her hiding place and checked for any sign of the monster. After she had checked by peeking her head the tiniest bit to the right, she made a mad dash for the staircase, which attracted the vampire's hearing because of the plundering noise she made while scrambling for the staircase. It grinned and pounced forward, and Yuki increased her speed. As she jumped off the staircase, she continued running down the long corridor until the toe of her shoe caught on something and she lurched forward, her hands and knees skimming the ground. The bandage on her knee also was scraped off, and she quickly covered it with her hands. Thankfully, it wasn't bleeding, yet it still stung and she tried to crawl away. The vampire slowed down and began walking toward her, its grin bloodied and horrible.

She turned over and crawled away, before the monster lurched and she turned to face the horrible being. It clawed at the coat she was wearing, carving deep claw marks into it. As it was aiming for her neck, it also tore out bits of the ground, as she dodged and tried to escape, yet she couldn't because the vampire was kneeling over her.

"Got you..." it moaned, bending down, its fangs very close to her neck.

_Will I be able to live..?_ A bang sounded as the monster was tackled away from her. She stood up and saw Yatome struggling to pin the vampire down, his shirt stained with blood.

She looked down and saw that her knee had started bleeding again. Instantly, she started to run, before she immediately began to feel light-headed and collapsed to the floor with a painful thud.

**...**

**I'm sorry...**

Yuki woke with a sharp pain in her neck. She winced slightly as the pain settled, and tried to take in her surroundings. She was back at her home, and was on the floor in the corridor. Someone's hands were placed firmly on her arms, preventing her from moving around. She attempted to shake them off, and something was still buried in her neck.

_Whoever's holding me has me from behind..._ she tried to shake the hands off again, yet they grasped her arms tightly.

"No!" she shouted, fidgeting and shook her arms free of the hand's grip. Turning around, she fell back in fear. It was Yatome, with his hand to his mouth, and blood painted on his mouth and face.

_No...!_

Taking to her feet, she burst out the front door and nearly flattened her father, who was coming home that late night.

"Yuki! Your neck is bleeding! Did you scrape yourself? Let me get a bandage, lets go home." he fretted worriedly.

"No...you can't go back to the house! Yatome...he.."

"What about Yatome?"

"I...can't tell you." she swallowed down the truth.

_Yatome...bit me. It must've been the vampire back then who bit him._

Grabbing her father by the hand, she led him to the house and looked for Yatome, who had disappeared. The corridor was splattered slightly with blood, and she went to mop it up.

"Where's Yatome? Wasn't he with you?" her father called from the kitchen.

"I...don't know." she took the mop and put it away. After her father had placed a bandage on her wound and wiped up the blood, she thanked him and went to bed.

The next morning greeted her with the soft gentle sunlight and the scratching sound of the curtains being pulled open by her father.

"Where is Yatome?" she yawned, shuffling out of bed.

"I don't know." he replied, fastening the curtains open. "I haven't seen him." Shoving his hands in the pockets of his jumper, he walked out of her room. After she had changed into a yellow shirt and jeans, she had eaten breakfast and went to get groceries. The central square was now packed with carts and stands, selling groceries and other things. Cheerfully, she had gone from stall to stall, looking, browsing and purchasing items.

After a while, she collapsed down onto a chair and looked at the pile of plastic bags next to her.

_If Yatome was here, he would have helped me carry the bags back home, but..._

_...am I a vampire?_ she looked up at the sun, which was shining brightly high in the sky. She didn't feel light-headed or dizzy.

_Strange...vampires normally burn up in daylight._ A spot of red caught her attention all over to her right, in a darkened alley. Running over, she inspected the spot of red on the ground which suspiciously looked like blood. Goosebumps formed on her arms as she backed away from the alley, and ran to the bench. Grabbing the plastic bags, she ran away from the alley and ran home.

The door burst open loudly as Yuki ran in and slammed the door shut behind her. Panting heavily, she locked the door and placed the plastic bags to the side of the doorway and went to her room. As she passed the corridor, she saw that the door to Yatome's room was open a bit. She peeped in and saw him, sitting on top of his bed. With excitement bursting inside of her, she burst in and then reeled back. He was holding a gun to his head.

The door burst open loudly as Yuki ran in and slammed the door shut behind her. Panting heavily, she locked the door and placed the plastic bags to the side of the doorway and went to her room. Looking out of the windows she passed, the sun had sunk low into the sky, and it was getting dark. As she passed the corridor, she noticed that the door to Yatome's room was open a bit. She peeped in and saw him, sitting on top of his bed. With excitement bursting inside of her, she burst in but reeled back in horror and shock. He was holding a gun to his head.

"No!" diving onto the bed, she grabbed his wrist and pulled the gun away, before he fired it and it hit the wall, making a purple crater.

"What are you doing?!" she asked, tears in her eyes. Yatome just closed his eyes and dropped on the bed. Yuki took the gun from his hand and dropped it on the floor.

"Why are you doing this?!" she cried. Yatome didn't respond and covered his eyes with his hand. She grabbed his other hand and put it against her face. His hand was ice cold.

"Your hands are cold..." she looked at him sadly. "You're a vampire...right?" he nodded, his hand casting a shadow over his eyes. She sat next to him on the bed and stared at him sadly.

"Why aren't you one?" he whispered silently.

She shrugged and looked up at the light which was shining in the room. She still felt fine. _Strange._

"Yuki..." Yatome silently muttered.

"Hm?" Yuki asked, looking at Yatome.

"Nothing." he mumbled. She smiled.

"Come on, you can tell me."

"Really, it's nothing."

Yatome then got up and left the room. Glancing at the clock on his wall, it was near the evening, and Yatome must have left to make dinner. She looked around his room, and saw a small, dimmed room with the curtains drawn. His room was quite neat, with a small mattress in one corner of the room as well as an empty desk and a small closet. Yuki sighed and lay down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. It was a while since she had been allowed to enter his room. The last time was about a few years ago, when Yatome had left the house to train for his first Hunter assignment. Yatome came back into the room and sat down on the bed, looking down at Yuki, who stared up at him in silence.

"Aright," Yuki smiled, and got off the bed and was about to leave until Yatome grabbed her hand.

"Hm?" He just lowered his head and gave her a hug.

"Please..forgive me...for what I have done..." he croaked.

"Forgive you for what?" she asked.

Without warning, Yatome quickly bit down on her neck, her cry of pain muffled by his shoulder.


	2. Kidnap

**Chapter 2- Kidnap**

Yatome lay Yuki on her bed and left her room, wiping the blood from his mouth, and his eyes moist with tears. Collapsing on his bed, he closed the door and picked up the gun that Yuki had previously dropped on the floor. Raising it to his head, he gritted his teeth and flinched, holding the gun to his head. A gentle snarl echoed around the house as Yatome was distracted. Opening the door, he silently crawled down the hallway and into the lounge room, before he saw a creature standing at the open door.

A monster, made of dark, swirling shadows, stood above Yatome, with Yuki in its arms. Raising its clawed wings, it jumped and flew away with Yuki into the dark, night sky.

"Yuki!" Yatome attempted to shoot the creature, bullets flying to the snow-covered ground with every bang. It was no use.

She was gone.

The door flew open with a bang as her Father charged in later that night.

"Yatome? What are you doing here so late? How did you-" Yatome lowered his head and left to his room. Patting the dust from his coat, the father took it off and hung it against the wall, before following Yatome.

"Yatome, I..."

"She's gone."

"Who?"

"Yuki."

"Yuki?!" the concerned father ran into her room and searched it, flicking the light switch on. It was empty. The letters 'Yuna' were carved into the walls, and the father flinched.

"We must alert the Society! Did you see how she was kidnapped?"

"It was a creature made of..shadows."

"The Shadow?!"

"Probably."

"Oh no.."

The two men didn't get much sleep that night, especially Yatome. His vampire senses kept him awake all night, so he had to stay in bed silently. That morning, however, was a different scene without Yuki. Yatome finally managed to get some sleep, and her father alerted the Hunter Society. When Father had returned from the Society, Yatome was still in bed so he inspected the words 'Yuna' which had been carved on the wall in her room. They had been carved deeply into the walls, and were thin, as if it had been carved using the blade of a strong knife.

_Yuna... Who was she?_

She hit the ground with a thud as she squirmed at the ropes tied around her arms, legs and waist. The white handkerchief around her neck was removed as she gulped in the air.

"Yatome! HELP!" Yuki screamed, her cries echoing through the dense cave. The monster snarled at her screams yet grinned haughtily.

_I have you now..._

"Who are you?! Why am I here?!" Yuki sobbed quietly. She lowered her head and continued sobbing, as the monster caught sight at the fang marks on her neck.

**_She has been bitten..._**

The cave was empty and eerie, as there were only scattered spots of light coming from the roof of the cave.

Footsteps echoed from around the cave as a woman came up to the monster and glanced at the tied up girl at its feet.

"My Lord...he is coming. He knows she is here." she trembled slightly at the cold aura lingering in the cave. There was a distant bang as a large crack snaked in the ground of the cave as part of the cave wall fell through. A distant figure emerged through the mist form outside, glaring at the Shadow with Yuki. The woman blinked and disappeared into a black fog as the Shadow picked up Yuki and flew upward through a hole in the cave. The distant figure ran and jumped up to the Shadow, as Yuki caught a glimpse of his face as he floated in the sky. It was..._familiar._

_!_ Yuki cringed in recognition at the man in front of her. As he was about to make his move, she felt gravity take hold on her as she was dropped.

"AaaaaaaaaAAAAaaAaaaaAAaaaaaaaAAAAAAhhhhhHHhHhHhH! " Yuki screamed as she squirmed at the ropes around her waist, arms and legs.

_This time, I'm really going to die...!_ The man saw her plunge down and was about to save her before the Shadow blocked his way. The wind was whistling in her ears as the wind was slashing around her face and neck.

_I'm going to die..._

And everything went black.


	3. Recognition

**Chapter 3- Recognition.**

He wheezed heavily as he grabbed the tie and tore it away from his neck before he staggered to the floor, wheezing. The sky had darkened and it was just him and his room. His neck was so dry it hurt, and he was sure his sanity was going to snap. It had only been a day after Yuki had snatched away, and he already had withdrawal symptoms. Father had left to a meeting at the society, and he was alone. Yatome wheezed and rolled onto the floor and stared at the ceiling.

_I'm just...another vile creature._ he gritted his teeth and attempted to reach for the door, but he crashed to the floor in exhaustion.

Yuki awoke to find herself burrowed in a soft and warm pillow as well as a blanked over her body. Sitting up, she got out of the bed and got up before she stared at the room she was in. Noticing a slight taste in her mouth, she pondered at the strange, iron-like taste in her mouth. Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she recoiled and screamed.

_It was blood._

"Yuki?! What happened?" the strange man from before was here, he had burst in the room with a concerned expression. "I...taste blood in my mouth..." she looked at the man smiling down at her. He looked familiar. He had thin, rectangle-rimmed glasses and dark brown hair_...who was he?_

"Are you alright?" the man snapped her out of her thoughts. Yuki stood there, shivering and sobbing.

"I'm...a..vampire...I'm the same..._a vile beast..._" she burrowed her head into her arms and collapsed on the bed.

"What is it?" the man bent down and rested her head in his warm hands.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed as she recoiled from the man, and a loud shattering sound echoed around the place. The man recoiled and calmed down, as well as Yuki, who was still shivering.

"Come with me." the man smiled, and handed her a lined-fur coat. Slipping it on, she followed the man out of the house she was in, as she looked back at it as they reached the porch.

"I..think I've been in this house before...right?" the man just smiled and led her away from the house, where it was snowing lightly and with every step she took, her shoes sunk into the snow. She smiled as a flake of snow drifted onto her hand as she shivered and dug her hands into the pockets of her coat as they began walking into the forest.

"Yuki?"

"Yes?" Maybe she knew this man differently now. He reminded her of someone like him...who cared for her..._someone..._

"Can I tell you something?"

"Ok..?"

"Can you not kill me if I do?" This made Yuki laugh.

"Why and how would I kill you?" she smiled. The man smiled back, as they stopped walking and they stopped at a well in the middle of the forest. The well was delicate and old, and the man sat at the bench next to it and invited Yuki to sit down as well.

As she collapsed down on the chair, she looked up at the sky and turned her head to view the sky. The sun was sinking low into the sky, and the sky was a light pink flushed with streaks of orange.

"It's late now, I need to go home now..." Yuki turned back to face the man, who looked at her kindly.

"Can I tell you something?"

"What is it?" he smiled and tugged a loose strand of hair handing from her face.

"You look a lot like your mother." he smiled.

"My...mother? I'm sorry, you must have confused me...I don't have a mother. I was adopted."

"What?"

"I was adopted." she said firmly with a sinking feeling. "I don't have any parents."

"You...don't remember?"

"Remember what? I don't-" she stopped talking. The man looked at her strangely.

"What's the matter?"

_My mother..._

"_Yuna.._" she whispered. A memory had edged itself into her mind.

"Are you...no...NO!" she screamed, taking to her feet and covering her ears with her hands.

"You're..."

**Blood.**

"No..."

**Vampires.**

"Yuki...just calm down..it's-"

**She died for you.**

_Why are you crying Mummy?_

**She sealed your genes to save you**.

_Mummy? What's going on?_

**Avenge your father.**

_He's standing in front of you._

**Kill the Shadow.**

_When's Daddy coming back?_

**Yuna loved you.**

_"Yuna!" the man burst into his home to find his wife on the ground, surrounded by a puddle of blood. Picking her up gently, he laid her on the couch as he cleaned up the blood on the floor. When he saw their child on the floor, he picked her up as well but felt her heart was still beating. Her face was cold yet her body was warm, and her clothes were slightly covered in blood. He knew Yuna had wanted the best for her. Taking the child into her room, he lay her in her bed as he slipped on a jacket for her. After he had picked her up, he took her outside, where it was snowing quickly and the wind was howling. Trekking through the tough winds, he continued for a while until he found a snowy area in the middle of supposedly nowhere. The snow had calmed down as well, and he placed the child gently on the snowy ground and looked at her softly._

_He knew one day this child would grow up in a loving and caring family, and maybe...maybe...find her way back into his arms._


	4. Search

**Chapter 4- Search**

"How is he?"

"No good. I've tried drugging him, but he's still as wild as ever. When was the last time he fed?"

"I...don't know. I only found out about him last night when I found him collapsed on the floor."

The two men stood talking in what looked like a prison, with a dark-haired man chained by his arms in the cell in front of them. His head drooping, he stood in silence as the conversation washed around him.

"He's been refusing any blood we offer him, and he's surely getting weaker."

"Anything else?" Father asked, taking note of the fang marks on Yatome's wrist.

"He was biting himself a while ago, trying to end his thirst, but we had to stop him before he lost too much blood." The monitor left, leaving Father with Yatome. He bent down to be level to Yatome, who lowered his head out sight.

"Yatome...you can end this madness if you take what the people offer

you. Then you can-"

"_Shut up!_" he croaked.

"If this is about Yuki...then that's alright..."

"_No it's not!_"

"Look, we've at least gotten proof she's not dead, alright?"

There was no reply from the man in the cell.

"Why are you refusing the help of the people here? They're trying to help you. To end this madness so we can find Yuki. Why aren't you helping?" he asked worriedly. Still there was no reply.

"Why didn't you tell me when you had been bitten? There would have been a cure!"

"_No...there..isn't..._" he forced the words out of his throat, his voice rasped and incredibly dry.

"Yuki...would have been so scared to see you like this..." Yatome flinched at the sound of her name. He didn't want to remember what he had did to her. It was her fault he had put her through the suffering, and this was his punishment. A vile beast. **Must perish and die.** But...he couldn't. He was already a vampire.

"I'll have to go now. It's getting late." Father concluded as he spun on his heels and left, the door clunking shut behind him. Yatome was left in the empty chamber. He wondered about what what could happen to him if he starved himself enough to drive him mad. Biting his tongue with one of his fangs, he winced as he felt his tongue began to bleed. He had given up on drinking his own blood ages ago. It didn't help. It just made him feel worse. More insane.

_Yuki... I'm sorry._

At this rate he didn't care if he died. He didn't care if he was shot by hunters.

_Yuki..._

_Don't look at me like that._

Yuki opened her eyes and stopped pressing her head with her hands as she saw the well and the bench nearby had been splattered with blood.

I did that? A small flake of red snow drifted down on her nose, and the man had gone.

"Father...?" she didn't know who she was anymore. A vampire. A human. A sister to Yatome. An only child of rare vampire bloodline. Yuki Shinkun. Yukana Toroji.

She knew one thing though.

_She would kill the Shadow._

"Yuki?" the man she would now call 'Father' came from behind one of the trees.

"Do you know who I am now?" he placed his hands on her shoulders as she looked up at him with the same chestnut-brown eyes he remembered her best for.

"Yes."

"This is yours." He handed her a small, metal rod. Taking it with both hands, she swiped it as it folded out into a metal scythe about the length of her body. The head of the scythe had a black ribbon attached to it, and it flowed quietly in the small breeze. Her hair had grown longer too. She had noticed it when some of it had floated in front if her face, and it was slightly lighter at the ends, and it reached up to her knees. Swinging the scythe around in delight, she grinned.

_Die, Shadow. Die._

"Yuki? No...I shouldn't call you that..Yukana." Father smiled. She smiled back as well.

"Do you know where I can find the Shadow?"

"Not really. We should get back home now. The weather's calmed down a bit too." she grinned at looked at Father properly. Mother had died trying to save her, and Father knew all along.

"Come on." Shoving her hands into her pockets, she folded the scythe back into the small rod which she shoved back into her pocket, and followed Father back to their home.

"Um...Hello?" Yatome opened one eye and saw a girl kneeling at the bars of his cell.

"_Yuki...?_"

"I'm not Yuki...sorry." he blinked again and saw a stranger. A woman. Daylight was streaming in through the tiny window in the top of the cell, and he flinched and closed his eyes, hoping for the lady to leave.

"I'm just here from the Society. Your Father had gained more information on your missing sister." He opened his eye again as his expression softened and continued sitting against the wall of the cell, hugging his knees. He groaned and dug his head back into his knees again. He didn't want to hear about anything. A pulse ran up his neck as he coughed slightly as his throat tightened.

"Hello? Are you alright? Do you need me to get the-"

"Shut...up and go...away." he rasped, his other hand around his neck. The frightened woman nodded and left in a matter of seconds, and he coughed loudly.

_Yuki...sorry. _

He looked around the cell and took the thin metal scissors out of his pocket. The blade shot out once more as he ran his hand over the smooth metal. He didn't intend to cut himself, it would just cause a commotion. Running his fingers over it, he out it down in front of him and hugged his knees again. The sun was still high in the sky, which annoyed him a bit.

_Argh...!_ Another pulse coursed through his neck, as he coughed again, as he heard his own voice rasp and dry up. Wheezing heavily, he fell to the ground, the chains around his arms clinking. He stayed there for a while, wheezing when he heard and saw footsteps along the floor.

"Leave...me alone..."

"Yatome? It's me..." it was the woman from before. He closed his eyes as he heard the rusty cell door swing open. He saw the feet of the woman as she kneeled down and looked at him dearily. Taking the sword in his hand, he shakily dragged it across the floor of the cell with a bumpy, screechy sound. The woman winced at the sound as he sat up and pointed the sword at her. Another pulse coursed through his neck as the woman reeled back. His silver eyes had flushed into a deep red, as he was going insane from bloodlust. He sat up for a minute, and pulled at the chains around his hands. As the woman turned and fled, another pulse echoed around his ears, as he stood up faintly by pulling on the chains around his hands before he sunk to his knees and lay there.

_He was thirsty._

"Yuki..."


	5. Recovery

**Chapter 5- Recovery**

Yuki, or the new Yukana, sat at the desk in her room, staring dreamily out the window while twirling a lock of hair around her finger. She rested her chin on her other hand and looked out at the snowing scene outside. Nw that she had moved back to her original home, she had been shut in her room while Father had left to the Vampire Society. She sighed. It was just like living with Yatome and her foster father. She was alone while the men were at work. Tapping the window sleepily, she stared at the snow which was falling gently from the sky. She was meant to be asleep, as it was the early afternoon, but she didn't care. The sun came round as the sun's rays hit her eyes, as she recoiled and slammed the curtains closed. Rubbing her eyes, she got up and shuffled around the room for her bed, on which she collapsed on.

_Ow..._ the sun she had grown up with as a human, wasn't kind to her anymore. Shuffling on her bed, she took off her coat and threw it on the carpeted floor as she pulled her blanket over her head and lay there, trying to sleep. Some of her long hair lay on the floor and curled there, as she watched it quietly.

_This..is all my fault...! If I didn't look for Yatome earlier, none of this would have happened! He wouldn't be a vampire, I wouldn't be a vampire, and I wouldn't have been kidnapped! This is all my fault. _

"It's all...my fault." she whispered quietly, as she burrowed her head into her blanket and sobbed quietly.

"Yatome...I'm sorry." Yuki whispered. She stopped sobbing when she had a strange sensation in her back, like, a furry feeling. Turning over to feel her back, she flinched when she felt two points sticking out of her back. As soon as she touched them, they expanded and folded out to be a pair of...bat wings. Getting up from bed, she looked at them and ran her fingers over her left wing.

_Is this part of being a vampire?_

As she stood up and tried to feel her newly discovered wings, she looked around as her wings had folded back into her spine after she had calmed down.

_Strange..._

Climbing back into bed, she just shrugged it off as she fell asleep quietly.

The next time she opened her eyes, it was nightfall, and Father had returned, as she heard his footsteps from behind the closed door. There was a sharp knock on the door as he opened it to check if she was awake.

"Yukana? Are you awake?" Yuki sleepily buried her face in the blanket and hid under it.

"Come on, you'll have to get up sooner or later." she pretended not to hear him and waited for the soft thud of the door closing.

_I...I remember now...my parents... My mother died to seal me away but...where was Father? Who was the Shadow? The blood from when I first came here was Father's blood...so I could-_

"Yukana! Come on, get up now."

"Ok, ok..." she mumbled as she sat up in her bed and got off it to get dressed.

"Hello Yukana!" her father cheerily greeted her as she shuffled into the kitchen. It was dark with a stone paved floor, and beige-coloured stone bench tops. Yuki grinned as she collapsed wearily in a wooden chair and leaned forward slightly and coughed.

"Yuki? What's wrong?" her throat was dry, as she stumbled onto the cold, stone floor and lay on her back, wheezing. Father kneeled next to her as he rested her head on his lap.

_What...? My throat is...parched..._ She could barely hear Father above her, all she could see was his face and._..his neck._

"Father...I-"

"Yukana?" his expression had softened slightly. He smiled as she gazed up at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

_"Father...forgive me."_

"I know." she rose herself higher as father leaned forward, and she bit down on his neck. Father closed his eyes and embraced her.

_**My daughter...at last. I have you in my arms.**_

**...**

The small flask went cartwheeling in the air as it smashed when it hit the ground, the crimson liquid staining the concrete floor. Yatome panted heavily and shook his head. The man in front of him looked at him worriedly.

"You're getting weaker. Just give up, it's the only way to cure your insanity." Yatome crushed the man's hand as a faint cracking sound echoed around the containment cell.

"Argh!" the man exclaimed as he shook his hand free of Yatome's grip and took to his feet and left, leaving Yatome alone. He glared at anyone who entered the cell, and he no longer spoke as his voice rasped. His sliver eyes were now a crimson red, which glowed with bloodlust and insanity. Pulses ran frequently up his throat, and at every pulse he grew weaker and more insane.

_Yuki...why didn't you kill me? Why not?_ he smiled. He looked at the darkness surrounding the cell he was in, and a strong pulse ran up his neck as he lay on his side and wheezed, his throat dry and parched. He leaned against the wall of his cell, and looked at his wrist. Biting it, he drank the blood which spurted from it, and glared around his cell. His own blood was useless, as it just acted as a delayer. It didn't do much though, as he looked at the glinting sword on the floor a few centimetres away from him. Reaching out to take it, as soon as he did, it sparked with ultraviolet white streams which circled the sword, as he gritted his teeth and hammered the floor.

_Anti-vampire spell_. Regaining his strength, he grasped the sword, the sparks zapping his arm before he grasped it with his other hand, and shakily lifted it off the ground.

Lifting it off the ground, he sat up and slashed one of the chains around his hand before he dropped the sword and ripped apart the other chain around his hand. Taking the sword which crackled and sparked, he opened the cell door before he stepped slowly up the concrete steps to the Hunter Society building. When he shakily pushed the door from the Containment Cells open, the Hunter Society building was still lit with people bustling around, so he turned around and went back to the Containment Cells. Entering the concrete-bricked room, he rammed into the wall furiously as the old walls gave way and collapsed.

Stepping onto the grassy area outside the cell, he shakily walked away from the cells as darkness enveloped him, as his shadow was swallowed by the growing darkness of the empty, Central Square.


	6. Attack

**Chapter 6- Attack**

_A monster..._ Father wiped the blood from his mouth as Yuki looked up at him, her neck bloodied.

"What is it?" Father asked.

"I..sensed a monster..._a terrible creature_."

_A vile beast._ She got up and left the kitchen and opened the door, as a cold wind blew several snowflakes inside.

"Yukana..."

"I...need to go."

"What?"

_Yatome..._

"I'm sorry."

"Yukana-!" she stepped out into the snow as Father leapt to his feet and embraced her. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp desperately, and looked at him dearly.

"I need to go.."

"Yuk-"

"I promise.._I'll return_." he let go silently as she grinned up at him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Aright.." she ran into the house briefly and came out with her scythe, which had been contracted into a small metal rod, and a black-and-white frilled jacket. Hugging her Father once more, she slipped the jacket on as well as a pair of fluffy, white boots which reached up to her ankle, before she ran into the howling winds as snow whipped by furiously. The ends of her hair floated lightly as they disappeared into the dark fog which matched the dark blue night sky.

Yuki ran deeply into the forest as fast as she could, the cold winds slashing at her cheeks and snow blurring her view. With a furry feeling in her back, a pair of dark purple-black wings ripped their way out of her back as she jumped quickly and landed on her face, the snow sending chills over her face.

_I can't fly..._ as she got up and patted the snow off her coat, her scythe fell out of her jacket pocket and landed on the snow. Picking it up, she shoved it back in her pocket, scowling. Her face was beginning to go numb as she flexed both her wings before flapping them several times. It was hard to control a new part of her body but she did take a grasp on it. Gaining her speed, she took to her feet again as she jumped again and screamed frantically in her mind to fly.

_...?_ she opened her eyes to find herself hovering above a forest of snow-capped trees, and wind still slashing and howling in her ears. Grinning, she soared in the air for a while before she sped up and looked around for her familiar home town. Looking down from such a height, she grinned at the sight of frosty ground, and snow-capped sightings and forests. The faint flapping of her newly discovered wings echoed around her ears and she caught sight of a small stone-paved town down below. Swooping downward, she slowed down as she reached the grind and smiled. She was home. The Crane fountain had frozen due to the sheer cold, and its jet of water which normally spurted from its mouth had frozen into a single block of ice.

There were several large lumps of snow around the area as Yuki went to the Hunter Society building, the light from its window shining through the thick winter fog.

"Yes? How can I help you?" the woman said in a tired and gruff tone.

"Um..I'm here for my brother."

"We'll see what we can do. Name?"

"Yuka- I mean, Yuki Shikun."

"Are you looking for Yatome Shikun?"

"Yes."

"He was placed in the Containment Cells after suffering an vampiric attack. Last night a guard reported a large hole in the wall and Yatome gone, as well as various blood stains on the ground."

_Yatome...! Where are you?_

"Ah...thank you..." Yuki backed away from the desk as she went outside and walked out back to the Central Square. It was getting windier now and the wind howled louder in her ears as the fog was getting thicker.

_A blizzard...it's coming._ Yuki shuddered as she went behind the building and kneeled against the wall which shielded her from the snow and partly the wind, but not the ferocious howling. Sinking down to the ground, she hugged her knees and huddled there and looked around, shivering. The wind was so strong now that she could not walked back to the Hunter Society building without having her legs ripped off. Plus, the Hunters were there, and the aura was quite frightening for her. As she opened her eyes again, she saw a pair of eyes staring at her though the wind. They looked like the eyes of an animal, the pupils curved. One eyes had a black pupil with a cut across it, while the other pupil was white, and the rest of the eye was black.

_Who...are you?_

**_Yuna..._** she froze. The monster was coming toward her.

_Don't...come any closer!_

**_Yuna...my child..._**

Yuki got up slowly and extended her scythe and aimed it at the pair of eyes approaching her.

_If you come any closer I'm going to blow your head off...!_

"**Yuna...what are you doing with such a dangerous toy?**" the monster's voice snarled hoarsely with a mysterious edge.

"I'm...stay away!"

**"My child...Yuna..."**

"I'M NOT YUNA!" Yuki screamed, and swiped her scythe at the monster. The monster obviously dodged, and she bent forward at the weight of the blade. Regaining her strength, she stepped forward slowly and kept swinging her scythe at the monster. The monster kept dodging and moving backward, and with every swing Yuki grew more exhausted.

Eventually she gave up and fell to her knees in exhaustion, her scythe lying on the ground. The monster smiled and appeared behind her, it's fangs extended. Leaning forward, Yuki looked behind her just to see-

**"AaAaaaAArgh!"** a silver sword dug into the monster's body, as Yuki pulled it out as it sparked at her touch, and a very dark red blood dripped slowly off the sword.

**"Geh..."** the monster looked forward and saw a figure ahead. His dark hair whipping in the wind, he was dressed in a ripped, white shirt and jeans. His clothes were scratched and bloodied, and his feet were bared.

_Yatome...?_ the monster recoiled at the sudden attack, but grinned at such a challenge.

**"Come fight me...human!"** the figure tilted his head upward to view his eyes, which were flushed with a crimson red, which glowed with bloodlust and insanity.

_Yatome...what...happened?_ the monster moved aside Yuki, as she got to her feet and took her scythe with her. Standing in front of the figure, she held her scythe upright and gritted her fangs in anger.

"Leave him alone!" she shouted.

"Yuki...?" a soft voice echoed behind her. She turned around and saw the same Yatome, staring at her softly.

"Oh...Yatome?" he smiled, as she took his hand, her warm pulse flooded his cold hand.

"Come with me." Yuki smiled. the monster grinned with delight, before it started to fade.

**"Yuna...you will return to me." **

And then it was gone.


	7. Fragments

**Chapter 7- Fragments**

"Yuki..." Yatome suddenly clutched at his neck as he collapsed heavily to the ground, as he lay his other arm over Yuki.

"Yatome...?" Yuki staggered slightly as she got to her feet and slipped her arm around Yatome's waist to help him up.

"Come on." she smiled, and with Yatome leaning on her, she slowly helped him to the back of the Hunter Society building. As she collapsed against the cold brick wall, she hugged her knees as the wind continued howling as her hair was dragged along with the wind, as it curled and danced quietly in the wind. Yatome sat beside her, his head bowed as he leaned against her slightly. She hugged her knees tighter as she felt her face heat up, as Yatome hugged her and bit down on her neck. The sudden pain raced from her neck as she jolted slightly. Relaxing, she lay there in silence and waited until Yatome finished and continued embracing her, yet she looked and saw a shocked expression on his face.

"What is it?" she asked. There was no reply, as Yuki felt weak from the sudden blood loss, and she weakly leaned against Yatome, feeling empty and tired.

"Yuki..." he embraced her warmly and slowly rubbed the top of her head.

As she fell asleep and snoozed quietly next to him, he recoiled slightly as he saw the same pair of black-and-white animal-like eyes gleam at him.

**"Foolish human. You will regret your actions.." **the fog in the blizzard parted to reveal Yuki's scythe, still dug into the ground. The scythe unearthed itself from the snow and hovered in the air before it took an aim for Yatome. He dodged as the scythe gripped the brick wall next to him, as he glared at the monster, before...

Crack.

A mirror, with red cracks all over...

Yuki...?

_...you have fallen._

Yuki...? What is-

_Yatome...I..need to tell you something._

...

_I... am not who I am anymore._

What are you..?

_I am no longer...Yuki. My name is Yukana Toroji._

...you're lying..aren't you?!

_I am avampire._

!

_I'm..sorry._

A faint illusion of Yuki appeared, crying, in front of Yatome. Her hair had grown all the way to her hip, and she was wearing a black, frilled dress.

What...?

_"Yatome...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."_ Yatome awoke and saw early morning. Sitting up, he was in bed, back at his home. Climbing back into bed, he covered himself with his blanket and tried to go back to sleep, yet in the darkness, he saw the same eyes...gleaming at him.

_My past...must have shattered Yatome. I..cannot live the same life with him anymore. Our paths have split. The mirror...has shattered. I'm sorry._

Yukana stopped sobbing as Father came into her room and asked her to go to bed.

"Yukana..? What is wrong?"

"N-Nothing..."

"It's late. I'll leave the door closed." Father smiled tiredly as he left, closing the door behind him. She sighed and stood up, collapsing her scythe back into a small metal rod. She believed taking Yatome back to his home was the true thing to do, even if he was quite heavy. As she fell asleep, she had a dream...or a vision.

It was the Shadow, the black-and-white stare entrancing her.

**_My beautiful Yuki... _**

_What is it?!_ she asked him firmly.

**_I know your current feelings, you want to-_**

_Shut up! I don't want to know!_

**_You don't want to love anymore? You don't want anyone anymore?_**

_I...I just want..._

**_His eternal peace._**

Yukana bit back a reply, tears streaming down her cheeks.

**_Hey...let's make...a deal._**

_What...would you possibly want from me...?_

**_I can tell you how to save him...but in return, you must come to me._**

_No...you're going to...kill me._

**_If I was planning to, I would have killed you long before we even met. Yet I have spared you...think about that._**

Yukana woke startled, panting heavily as the conversation with the Shadow lingered in her memory. It was late night, as she got up and out of bed, dressed herself, and went outside with her scythe. Father was no where to be seen in the house, as it was snowing lightly outside. There, in the distance, stood a hooded figure, its head covered by a tilted hat, and the mouth and nose covered by a large scarf. Yet the same black-and white stare remained, which she knew that she was staring, at the Shadow. Staring at the Shadow numbed her mind, as she shook her head and gritted her teeth and remembered her thought when she had first awakened.  
_Die Shadow, Die._

She ran toward the monster, and attempted to slice the monster in half, but it split in two and morphed behind her.  
**"Don't you know you can't kill me?"** it taunted, grinning. It then morphed around her, like a black band around her arms and waist. As her scythe fell to the ground, she was enfolded by the two arms of a cold-pulsed stranger.  
**"Listen... I know you more than you think,"** the whisper was entrancing in a dark way.

**"Yukana."** She scowled and tried to wriggle from the firm grasp yet the monster caught sight of Yatome's fang marks on her neck.  
As she continued struggling in the grasp of the Shadow, she felt a slight pressing on her mind as she was abruptly lifted into the air upward as she angrily struggled against the black band around her. She was lifted higher into the foggy and cold clouds before the Shadow gave in and dropped her as gravity took its hold as she fell though the smoggy air.


	8. From Red to Black

**Chapter 8- From Red to Black**  
That evening, Yatome got up slowly from the bed and sat there, allowing time to absorb his thoughts. Gnashing his fangs in anger, he flung his blanket off the mattress as it landed with a pouf in the corner of the room. Yuki is a vampire now, he glared at the blanket as it sat silently in the corner before he left the room quietly. Ever since Yukana's blood had entered his body, his bloodlust had been slowed greatly, as her blood was of a rare lineage. _Why did I succumb to my inner self?_ he had angrily questioned himself over and over.

Another surge of bloodlust coursed through his neck as he staggered and fell to the ground heavily at the thought of Her. Her old face, voice and blood racing through his memory.  
_Yuki...  
why?_

He lay on the ground panting heavily as his vision blurred and his heartbeats thumped in his ears, Yuki's voice ringing in his ears.

_"Yatome!"_

He had mixed feelings for Yuki now, part hatred, confusion and...anger.

_A vile beast, a...vampire._

Daddy, are there really vampires in this town?

_Aim for its heart, the gun'll kill them quick._

As he gained some stability as he stood shakily to he feet, he stumbled quickly into his room and grabbed his sword from his coat pocket, his breath shaky and his chest tightening. Standing to his feet, he staggered toward the darkened front door, grasped the door knob and twisted it open, as a blade of cold wind slashed against his body. Ahead of him, standing in the dark fog of the blizzard, was the dark figure no one could avoid, the monochrome stare sharp.

"It's you again." Yatome gnashed his fangs angrily and pulled out his sword, yet dropped it quickly as the white sparks flashed and zapped at his wrists. He grasped his wrist angrily and sank to his knees in anger of the surging pain at his wrists.

**"It's only the wrists, you're so...weak."** The last word ignited his anger, as Yatome glared straight at the man with the monochromatic stare and his tipped hat, shadows swirling around him.

"W-who are you calling weak, _beast_!" As he retaliated and grabbed his sword from the ground, the bright white sparks flashed again, yet his deep scarlet eyes flashed against the black-and-white glance of the figure in front of him. He angrily rushed at the figure, which split in half and morphed behind Yatome in incredible speed. Taking note of this, he landed a swift kick which went through the figure's stomach as the shadows ensnared his foot and threw him to the ground. The figure tipped his hat and what sounded like a sneer came from underneath his pulled up coat.

**"I have no intention of fighting you, human. You do not pose a threat to me, and you're just wasting my time."** Yatome clutched at his stomach as he suddenly coughed and blood spurted from his throat onto the pale white snowy ground, his sword several feet away.

"W-what have you done...to Yuki...?" he kneeled over with one hand on the ground, the other on his stomach.

**"Alright, you win."** the figure sneered as he vaporised into a black blade which cleanly sliced through Yatome's heart, his scream fading through the howling wind of the incoming blizzard.

...

_"Yatome! Yatome!" Little five-year-old Yuki waved a small book in front of Yatome who, back then, was nine, had his head buried in a book labelled- 'Essentials to Spearing Vampires.'_

_"Hn?" He quickly lifted his gaze from the book and smiled at Yuki and rubbed her head happily._

_"What's that?"_

_"I made it for you! Daddy helped me with the pages!"_

_Taking the small book of what looked like parchment from her hands, he gently opened the book and scanned through the pages filled with photos, drawings and scribbles of the family._

_Yatome, who was taken slightly aback by the album, patted Yuki's head happily._

_"But...shouldn't something this nice belong to Father?" Yuki shook her head sweetly._

_"Daddy told me you were training to be a Vampire Hunter, and I want you to remember us if we ever leave!"_

_"Look, I'm not leaving, alright?...so don't look so scared when I'm around." he smiled and poked her cheerily._

_Back then, there were the gentle times. Just the three of us. Yatome, Father and I. We were happy, with no actual blood relation, but it was just like that. But then.._

_"Yuki, get back!" Yatome clutched his sword in his hand as the beast with glowing eyes salivated and growled at the young boy with the little girl behind her._

_"I-I'm scared..!" _

_He angrily stabbed the monster's arm as it howled and clawed down at his arm, the claws sank in as blood spurted rapidly. He screamed in pain as Yuki screamed in fear of her brother's wound, yet he regained his strength and stabbed at the heart as it turned into dust, which was blown away from the wind. He panted heavily yet collapsed to the ground as Yuki kneeled beside him._

_"Yatome..! Your arm! You're-" her frightened shouts were stopped by her brother's hand resting on her cheek._

_"..Yuki, I'm here."_

...

Yukana stopped reading the old parchment filled with photos, drawings and scribbles she had made for Yatome back then, the book was still in her possession. Father came in and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Are they your..human memories?" She nodded silently before he kneeled down to her, and placed one hand on her head gently, like Yatome would have done when she was younger.

"Look, it's just-"

"Why did you do this to me?!" she asked.

"Do what?"

"Why weren't you there that night?! Why did mother had to kill herself to seal me?! What was she trying to save me from?!" she became more scared and confused, and Father's rectangle-rimmed glasses vibrated and shattered to pieces, as Yuki calmed down and faced her back to Father.

"Yuki...calm down, I'll tell you these things later, alright?" he smiled as Yuki stood up and folded her arms, still facing away from Father. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, and she recognised the signs, and moved her hair away from her neck, as Father quickly bit down on it as Yuki stood silently until Father had finished.

"Yuki...how come you never told me?" he asked, some blood around his chin.

"Told you what?"

"You should have told me about your brother..and your other father..."

"I...hid these things from you, but.."

"I could tell. Your blood...tasted like so."

_!_

There was a sudden crash as a raven smashed through the window in Yukana's room, holding a message tied to its foot. Father picked up the bird and unrolled the parchment from its foot and alarmingly left the room.

"Father! Wait!" she chased after him, her neck still exposed and bleeding, and caught the end of his jacket.

"Where are you going?"

"I...to-to the Society. I'll be back, it's urgent."

And with that, he dissolved into the Shadows and left Yukana alone.

"But..."

As she finished wrapping the bandage around her neck, she slumped to the floor and lay there, yet took out her scythe and ran her fingers over the smooth, cold metal rod.

_I wonder...what now..?_

_I don't...know what to do. It's only nightfall. _

There was a large collision outside the house as Yukana abruptly grabbed her scythe and stormed outside.

"W-who's there?!"

_"Yuki...? I...I've found you.."_

Yatome? How did-

Her thoughts were cut off by the arms of the man she once loved, his dark hair still like she remembered.

"Y-Yatome.."

_"Don't cry Yuki...it hurts me to see you so scared."_

"h-how did you get here? How did you find me? Do the Hunters know? What about Fath-" Yatome gently placed his index finger on her lips, and she stopped immediately.

_"...Yuki, I'm here."_

_!_

She couldn't stop the flow of tears down her cheeks in confusion and fear of what was going on around her.

"It's just...I don't understand..what's going on?"

He smiled and embraced her warmly.

When he let go of her and smiled mysteriously, she asked him, pointing to her eye.

"What happened to your eye?" His eye, which was usually a pale silver, had turned a deep crimson.

"Nothing." He smiled and poked her in the forehead cheerfully.

Yuki blushed and smiled, her face heating up from the cold and invited Yatome inside. Naturally, he smiled and relaxed himself in the chair a bit more comfortably and started a conversation, before Yuki started asking.

"H-how did you find me?! If Father finds you, he'll-"

"It's fine Yuki. Father sent me to find you."

"I-I meant my father, my actual father, a vampire!"

"Oh, I'm sure he won't be back for a while."

_Yatome..how do you know all this..?_

"But my father went to the vampire society, and I don't know when he'll be back.."

"Hey Yuki?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Do you know anything about your past?"

"N-not really now that you mention it," she smiled and laughed nervously in her chair. "Except for my human past.. I'm really grateful to you for finding me back then." she smiled up at Yatome. "I'm really in your debt for finding me. Thank you!"

Yatome didn't say anything, and the silence was quickly broken by a light knock at the door, in which Yuki jumped.

"Eeh?! The door! T-the door! I'll go get the..um..door!" Yuki panicked and slowly opened the door a crack, and saw a white-haired man at the door, in which his appearance sparked a small light of recognition.

"Um, hi. Is Hayashi Toroji home?"

_Father?_

"S-sorry, h-he's busy.."

"Oh.. Well bye then!"

"Wait!"

Yukana ran outside and grabbed the arm of the white-haired man.

"Um...y-you can wait in our house if you like, it's snowing terribly.." Yukana offered kindly. The man kindly smiled and accepted her offer, before staring at her for a while.

"Who are you?" the man asked, confused.

"M-my name's Yukana! I live here as well with Hayashi."

_She's alive?! _The man wondered.

As the man came inside, Yatome supposedly shot the man a cold glare.

"S-sorry Yatome, even though he's a vampire you can't kill him."

"Vampire?! Is he a human?" the man asked.

"No, he just hates vampires."

There was a gentle pressing of metals on Yukana's head as she saw the sword out of the corners of her eyes.

_"Don't label them by their proper name, just because you're one of them." _Yatome muttered to Yuki before he glared at the man once more and left the house, slamming the door behind him.

_I-if I don't go, I'll lose him!_

Yukana quickly apologized to the man before running after Yatome in the cold snow, the cold air acted like a knife on her cheek, and the white snow falling quickly as the grey sky darkened.

"Yatome!"

"Yatome, where are you?!"


End file.
